


Everything is a Challenge (Especially This)

by shyfoxes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Being Kenma is Suffering, First Kiss, Fluff, Height Differences, Hinted Mutual Pining, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 16:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7230625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/shyfoxes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t understand what I did wrong,” Lev said. “I teased him about his height and then he tried to head butt me.”</p><p>Kenma’s eyes narrowed at his screen. His expression remained blank, but the slump of his shoulders let Lev know that he was becoming exasperated.</p><p>“…Maybe,” Kenma started, pausing to deliver a chain of attacks. “Maybe he wasn’t trying to head butt you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything is a Challenge (Especially This)

“Quit playing around!” Hinata whined. “Get down here!”

Lev laughed, digging his knuckles into his hips. He bent back and laughed with his whole body. He peeked down to watch as Hinata’s cheeks puffed out and he sizzled with frustration. Lev rested a hand on Hinata’s head, and then pushed down.

“No, you come up _here_ ,”Lev said.

Lev turned then, swinging a long leg around as he set off to find Kenma and annoy him for a toss. Lev bit his tongue as he was yanked back. He stumbled twice before he was able to steady himself. He dug his feet down and quickly turned to face Hinata.

Hinata was a blur by him, and he just barely managed to look up in time as the sun filtered behind Hinata’s head and turned his bright hair even brighter. As he began to fall back to earth again, almost as if in slow motion, Lev saw the sun peek back into view. Hinata had a halo for those few seconds until the sun blinded Lev and he was falling flat on his ass.

Something warm barely brushed past his nose and he thought maybe it was Hinata’s hair. Lev fell backwards like he’d been floored by a stampede of elephants. He dug his palms into his eyes and groaned. He flopped from side to side and whined.

 _‘That’s not even fair,’_ Lev thought. Wasn’t it enough that Hinata was so cute?

Hinata was sitting on his knees looking defeated and yet fired up all at once. His brown eyes bore down into Lev’s figure as he slowly sat up. He couldn’t even completely blame Hinata for this, he _had_ challenged him.

“Why’d you have to move like that?” Hinata said. “I was so close!”

“Close to what??” Lev said. “Nailing me in the head?”

“No! I was trying to –“ Hinata stopped. He dug his chin down against his clavicle and started ripping at the grass next to his knees.

“Just forget it!” Hinata said.

Lev didn’t have enough time to question him further when he got a face full of grass and Hinata had sped off in a huff. Lev blew out air, watching a blade of grass float away wondering what the hell had just happened.

-

Kenma was waiting for him when he finally stood up and wandered back to the room the other Nekoma players were sleeping in. He didn’t look up from his game but Lev knew that Kenma was aware of him. Lev rolled out on his bed on his back and sighed heavily.

“You made Shouyou mad,” Kenma said.

“Eh? Did he talk to you, Kenma-san?” Lev asked.

“Sort of. He said you were being stupid, and made a lot of noises. So I just put two and two together,” Kenma replied.

Lev rolled over on his side and pouted at Kenma. Kenma glanced at him, scoffing, but didn’t pause from his game. He’d considered going to Kuroo or Yaku about what to do but he wasn’t sure he’d like their reactions, though he’d appreciate their input. Kenma at least would be blunt with him.

“I don’t understand what I did wrong,” Lev said. “I teased him about his height and then he tried to head butt me.”

Kenma’s eyes narrowed at his screen. His expression remained blank, but the slump of his shoulders let Lev know that he was becoming exasperated.

“…Maybe,” Kenma started, pausing to deliver a chain of attacks. “Maybe he wasn’t trying to head butt you.”

“If he wasn’t trying that then what was he doing?” Lev asked.

Kenma shrugged, then said, “You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”

Lev face planted into Inuoka’s pillow and groaned loudly. Even if Hinata didn’t want to head butt him before he certainly would want to now.

-

Hinata’s spikes got a little more vicious the next day when Lev got up to the net to block. The ball whizzed by him, though thankfully saved by Fukunaga somewhere behind him. Lev looked through the net at Hinata, face set in that same fiery determination from yesterday. He was still upset by the look of it, but he looked as if he had resolved a new goal and whatever it was involved Lev. Lev felt his palms get sweaty and his heart race in something akin to fear, but his veins pumped with an energetic urgency to see what was in store for him. Karasuno’s coach called for a time-out. Hinata glanced back at him once but turned back as Kageyama began speaking rapidly alongside Sugawara.

-

Karasuno got stuck face-planting in the gym again. They’re better, much better, anyone can see. They’re finding their niche and meshing up better. Lev only noticed Hinata now, though. Nekoma was on break having won their practice match and flopped down at the side of the court to catch their breaths. Hinata flew down into his falls like he’d been expecting to swim through the floorboards. Every so often he caught Lev’s eye and his expression gets dark with that determination of his. It frightened and excited Lev all the same.

“Are you planning on eating that shorty or something?” Tora said beside him. “Are you both trying to turn into cannibals??”

Cannibal didn’t seem to be the right term. He wanted something from Hinata, but what he couldn’t really say. He just knew that he’d really like to have him in his space again, close, close, until he could suck up all the warmth he radiated. His grandmother had had a cat like that. It smothered whatever person it deemed a worthy heat source for the day. But he wasn’t sure smother was the right feeling either.

“Isn’t that illegal, Tora-sempai?” Lev asked.

Tora grumbled when Yaku and Kuroo laughed at him. Lev watched Hinata stand up alongside his team as they finished their punishment and got lectured. His hands slid on the gym floor, nearly bumping into Kenma’s side. Kenma sent him a sidelong glance but said nothing.

-

“Hey, Lev,” Hinata said. “Come practice with me!”

“Okay! Who else will be there?” Lev said.

Kenma was hovering around looking like he’d gotten caught in a bear trap and unsure of how to exit. Hinata’s gaze flickered to Kenma. Lev got the creeping feeling a silent conversation had transpired before Hinata looked up at him.

“Kenma’s gonna set for us. I want to go up against your block!” Hinata said.

“Ha! Prepare to be crushed then!” Lev said.

They both took hold of Kenma’s wrists and physically lifted and carried him to an empty practice room.

-

They played a while, as best as the two of them could. Hinata’s serves weren’t very good, but then Lev’s receives sucked just as much in comparison. But when Kenma got the ball in the air and Hinata’s hand came swinging down, the ball careened across the net. Sometimes Lev forgot to block the way Kuroo had taught him only to be scolded bluntly by Kenma. He’d gotten distracted by Hinata’s jump but clicked back when the urge in his body prompted him to meet the ball head on.

Still, there was a tension rising. Kenma looked like he wanted to bolt any second. Kenma passed under the net and stood next to Lev. He set the ball twice before he tossed it to Lev. His long arms whipped out, the momentum only slowing as Hinata’s tiny hand touched it. The ball bounced quietly behind them. Kenma was suddenly nowhere in sight.

“Yesterday,” Lev started. “You weren’t trying to head butt me, right? Somehow we both got into a misunderstanding.”

He didn’t wait for Hinata’s response before he spoke again, ducking under the net to stand toe to toe with Hinata. He was itching for what he didn’t really know. He wanted to grab Hinata from under his arms and – do what?

“So you should try again!”

Hinata stepped back a bit, bent at his knees, and then jumped. Lev watched him suddenly come into eye-level, arms spread wide. His face was bent forward, close, close and Lev moved on impulse. His hands shot out and grabbed Hinata under his arms. He pulled him close until Hinata hands had to reach out and grab his shoulders to steady himself.

“Woah, Hinata,” Lev said. “I didn’t even realize you were this light. Is this why you can jump so high? You weigh less than my cat!”

Hinata’s legs came up around his waist, as he donned that funny determined look. He rocked forward and made Lev stumble again. Panic ran through Lev as he stepped on his shoe lace and they both fell backwards. Lev’s back crashed against the net, falling into it as it bent under both of their weight. Hinata’s knees came up to rest on the net. He leaned forward, brown eyes burning into his as he kissed him. He was as soft and warm as he looked, head tilted slightly so their noses didn’t smack together. Hinata’s eyes slid close. 

Lev’s feet slipped on the court, though his hands dug harshly into the fabric of Hinata’s shorts. When Hinata pulled back, he looked suddenly shy. Lev rested a hand to the back of his neck and pulled him forward again.

They spent the rest of the time kissing in the net until Kuroo came looking for him and laughed so hard he had to grab onto the doorway to support himself. He hurried off calling after Sawamura.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted for HQ Rarepairs Week 2015
> 
> Sorry, I’m sure they’re pretty OOC.
> 
> One thought that kind of inspired this was the somersault kiss. Tell me Lev & Hinata wouldn’t try that somersault kiss thing, cuz I bet they would. Only they’d fail so badly at first. But then they’d finally gat it and it would be wonderful. Either that or Noya would get everyone in Karasuno to try it with everyone else at least once. Bokuto gets the award for most well executed somersault kisses to date. You’ve seen those arms right? Yeahhhh.
> 
> I have no idea if the image of Lev & Hinata falling into the net I had makes much sense.
> 
> ANYWAY. Please tell me what you think! I would love feedback. Comments, critiques, concerns. I would love to improve! Or if you want to shoot a headcanon or a hi my way, my inbox is definitely open. Just give me some time to respond!
> 
> Inspired quite a lot by this comic --> http://pelucherria.tumblr.com/post/105768458835/dj-harapeko-raion


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